Love and Memory
by WhiteLightForever
Summary: Sakura is captured by the enemy and struck by amnesia. Granted a new name and a new life, she begins to fall in love with her captor. But in the end, which is stronger: her new-found love, or the lost memory of another? Full summary in profile. R&R!
1. Love and Memory: Preface

Love and Memory: Prologue

By WhiteLightForever

A/N: The following writing in _italics _are lyrics from the song "Memories" by Within Temptation. It's an incredibly sad, beautiful song which inspired this story. My point: these words are _not mine_, they are solely the property of the lyricists.

_All of my memories keep you near_

_In silent moments, I imagine you here_

_All of my memories keep you near_

_Your silent whispers, silent tears_

Sakura knelt by the grave. The smell of fresh rain on grass lingered in the air, and a cold breeze blew Sakura's bangs gently. Her long pink hair was tied back into a long braid, and she shivered in her white kimono. With quaking fingers she placed a daffodil in the wooden vase before her first true love's headstone. Her emerald eyes gazed upon it in sadness, yet she did not shed one tear. She had mourned him enough over the years, which had been many. But now she was happy, and though she would always feel a tinge of sorrow for her lost love, the feelings she possessed now would never falter.

_The memories ease the pain inside_

_Now I know why_

"Mommy, I'm cold. Can we go now?" a little girl tugged on Sakura's sleeve. Sakura looked upon her youngest daughter with love, tearing her eyes away from the stone.

"Yes, dear. We can go now." she said softly, standing up and taking the child's hand. The young girl was almost a mirror-like reflection of Sakura in her youth, with short pink hair and milky-white skin. The only difference was her dark eyes. She stared up at her mother with a curious look.

"Mommy? Why didn't you pray this time?" she asked with innocence. Sakura smiled down at her.

"I didn't have to, Satori." She replied.

"Why not?"

"Because I know that he is alright. The gods have taken care of me; they have surely taken care of him as well. I have faith." Sakura ended in a whisper.

_You made me promise I'd try_

_To find my way back in this life_

_I hope there is a way_

_To give me a sign you're okay_

Satori's attention was drawn away from her mother when they came upon a familiar face. "Uncle Naruto!" she exclaimed with glee, letting go of her mother's hand. Satori ran into the outstretched arms of a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes. She laughed as he swung her around, and then held her up in a hug.

"Hey there, Satori! How's the little princess today?" he said in a deep voice. Satori giggled and told him she was fine. Naruto turned his attention to Sakura.

"Hi Sakura." He began. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Naruto. And you?" she replied pleasantly.

"Ah, you know me, I'm always great!" he laughed. "You know, you sure are lucky to have a husband that lets you visit his rival's grave every day. Doesn't he ever get mad?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "No, he doesn't. He understands. Don't you?"

Naruto gulped, taken aback. "Well, yeah!" he said desperately. "Of course I do! But is it… um… really necessary to visit the grave every day?"

_Remind me again it's worth it all_

_So I can go home_

Sakura's eyes fell on the ground, and she held her hands together. "Well, I suppose not. But wouldn't you, if you ever lost Hinata?"

Naruto placed Satori on the grass beside him, holding her hand. "Yes… I would. Never mind, Sakura. It was a dumb thing to say."

"Oh Naruto, did you say something dumb again? That would be very unexpected." A voice said sarcastically. Behind Naruto, in a poof of smoke, appeared a tall man whose face was half-hidden with a blue mask. Silver hair sprouted on top, and one bored eye twinkled maliciously at Naruto.

"Kakashi, damn it all, you have to stop doing that!" Naruto cried, springing away from him. Kakashi's eye showed a smile from beneath the mask.

"Naruto, language!" Sakura scolded, placing her hands over Satori's ears. Satori wriggled out of Sakura's grasp and ran up to Kakashi, who ruffled her hair.

"Hello Satori, Sakura." He said happily.

Sakura clapped her hands together. "Oh, I'm very glad you're both here now! I was meaning to ask you both something."

Naruto and Kakashi looked at her inquiringly.

"I was wondering if one of you could take care of Satori and Kyo for me for a while? I have to make a trip, and their father is away on another mission… it would really mean a lot to both of us. It's just that I can't put this trip off any longer, Katara has been sending messengers for a while now, and-"

"Say no more, Sakura, I'll watch them." Kakashi interrupted.

"And Sakura, I would, but Hinata and I have been pretty busy with the twins lately. It wouldn't be any fun for Satori and Kyo to stay at our place with screaming babies all night." Naruto responded.

"Yes Naruto, I understand. Thank you very much Kakashi!" Sakura said, relieved.

She watched as her only daughter practically dragged Naruto and her former sensei back into Konoha, begging for ramen. The wind began to blow again, and Sakura tucked a stray of hair behind her ear. She turned around and stared back at the grave site. He had been buried beneath a Sakura tree, just as he had asked. He had said that that way, she would always be with him. When the cherry blossoms fell on the headstone, and the roots eventually became entwined with the stone, it was a sign that she was there. He said that his spirit would be guided right by the Sakura tree.

_Together in all these memories_

_I see your smile_

Sakura turned back and started to walk back home, smiling. He was right. Her namesake tree was proof that she was a part of him, and he of her. But she was sure that he would be happy for her now. She had a family, and a husband that loved her even more than he had. All the same, her feelings for her deceased lover would never fade away.

_All the memories I hold dear_

_Darling you know I'll love you_

_Until the end of time._


	2. Chapter 1: Disappointment

Love and Memory: Chapter 1

{Disappointment}

By WhiteLightForever

*_Ten years earlier…*_

Sakura Haruno followed behind Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi in silence as they walked through the forest. Naruto had folded his arms behind his head and stared at the sky, Kakashi was focussed on his "adult" novel (as usual), and Sasuke had his hands in his pockets with a look of indifference. But Sakura stared at the ground with sad eyes.

No one else seemed to notice her state of depression. But she was just so out-of-mind that she didn't even care that no one was worried about her. All Sakura could think about was how horribly she had performed in the last battle. The four of them had been ambushed just after they had first left, on their way to spy on a newly-discovered village. The Village Hidden in Shadow. The name was provocative enough; so they had been ordered merely to look for suspicious activity. Nobody, from any other villages in cooperation with Konoha, had ever been to the Village Hidden in Shadow. So there was no reason for it to be an enemy… but no reason to be an ally either.

Team Seven had been badly outnumbered. There were a great deal of unmarked ninja who attacked them after they were clearly out of range of Konoha. Sakura had been caught off guard and was quickly injured. She ended up needing Naruto to protect her and eventually the three men defeated the ninja. But Sakura couldn't get the disappointed faces out of her mind.

As the sun set, it painted the sky various shades of orange and pink. Sakura looked up from her feet at the beautiful sight, but her expression did not change.

"Let's set up camp, guys. Sasuke and Naruto, go fetch some wood. But keep your guard up." Kakashi paused to announce. The two boys nodded and sprinted off in sync, already beginning a contest of who could get the most the fastest. Kakashi put his novel in his pocket and sat down on the ground.

"Sakura, you should rest. You were badly wounded back there and you need to recover soon." He said softly. Sakura sat down and leaned against a tree, wincing as she felt the strain on her stomach. She hoped the bandages would keep the wound from opening. "Um… are you feeling alright?" Kakashi asked, finally noticing her sad face.

"I'm fine." She answered coldly. Kakashi raised his only visible eyebrow slightly, but decided not to venture into the mind of a woman.

A moment later, Naruto and Sasuke slid to a stop before them, both panting heavily. They each carried a large amount of dry wood and looked at each other in annoyance.

"Ha, loser! I beat you here." Sasuke snorted. Naruto looked infuriated.

"You did not! I was here first Sasuke, and you know it!" Naruto shouted angrily, and they continued until they were right up in each other's faces.

"Boys, let it go. We've got enough wood to last us a week out here now, and you tied anyways, so let's eat something and go to sleep, alright? I'll take the first guard shift." Kakashi muttered. Naruto gave Sasuke one last look of pure venom, then dumped his wood and sat down heavily.

Sakura stood up abruptly. "I'm not hungry. I'm going for a walk." She announced monotonously.

"Sakura, that's not a very good idea. You need to eat and build up your strength, and besides, you saw how easily we were ambushed the last time…" Kakashi told her. She looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"_Don't _follow me." She spat, and turned on her heel. Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi looked at each other in confusion.

Sakura stepped lightly through the forest, while the final rays of the setting sun shone through the trees. She felt a tinge of regret for speaking so viciously to her comrades, but her feelings and disappointment in herself were much greater. She just could not handle that she had done so poorly, and almost cost them their lives in the process…

_**Sakura grit her teeth as she sustained another strike on her left shoulder. She immediately clutched it with her right hand in an effort to stop the bleeding, but that was a faulty move. Spotting her weakness, another ninja went at her and swiped a sharp kunai against her stomach. She cried out in pain and fell onto her knees, breathing heavily.**_

_**"Sakura!" Naruto yelled, directing his attention to her after hearing her scream. Another bad move. He was immediately attacked by a ninja, and just barely managed to dodge it. **_

_**"Naruto! Don't let your guard down!" Kakashi shouted angrily, while battling 3 ninjas at once. "Sakura! Get out of here!"**_

_**"No, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura panted, struggling to stand back up. "I can still fight!"**_

_**"Just go, Sakura!" Sasuke called. "You're a weakness to us now." **_

_**"N-no! I'm staying, I can fight! I'm fine!" Sakura shouted defensively. She was standing again, and held a kunai tightly in her left hand. She still held her left shoulder, fighting back the urge to cry. But blood still streamed from the numerous wounds she had acquired.**_

_**"Not for much longer!" an enemy ninja laughed from behind. Sakura shakily whirled around and blocked an onslaught of shuriken with her kunai. She suppressed feelings of panic as her vision started to falter. Oh no, she thought, I have to stay conscious, or I'll die! **_

_**The ninja in front of her became more blurry as she continued to fight him. But Sakura couldn't hold out. She released her hold on the tears and they streamed down her face. Sakura cried out in defeat and agony as she collapsed onto the ground heavily. The blood from her wounds seeped into the grass, painting it red. **_

_**"Sakura, no!" Naruto cried, immediately running to her. He knew now that if he didn't protect her, an enemy would seize the opportunity to kill her in an instant. He quickly slung her over his shoulder. "Kakashi-sensei, I'm taking Sakura out of here! Cover me!"**_

Sakura felt tears sting her eyes at the flashback. She owed Naruto her life; so not only was there anger at herself but there was also incredible guilt. Her pride and need to prove herself overruled even Kakashi-sensei's orders. _Sakura, _she scolded herself, _how could you do this?_

Sakura gazed out at the starry sky in silence. She had arrived at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the rest of the forest. She could faintly spot Konoha in the distance; they had moved slowly after the ambush, for being wounded. Kakashi decided that none of their injuries were too life-threatening to go back. After they had bandaged Sakura up well enough they set off slowly, but all were rather shaken from the attack. They all were wondering the same thing: who knew they were coming, and who sent the foreign ninja?

She was currently wondering how far away from camp she was. But suddenly, she felt a searing pain and fell onto her knees. Sakura drew her hand away from her stomach, gasping as she saw it was covered in blood. _Damn, _she gritted her teeth, _the wound's opened again!_

"Help!" she cried out, her voice echoing off the cliff. "Kakashi-sensei! Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura tried to put pressure on it, in order to stop the blood flow, but it seeped through her fingers despite her efforts. She crouched over, resting her head on the ground and fighting the pain. "Help!" But her voice was growing hoarse.

_Why is this rendering me so weak, so fast? _She thought, panicking. With trembling hands she lifted her shirt up to inspect the wound. She pulled the bandages aside and her eyes widened in horror. The skin around the open wound was tinged green.

"Poison!" she cried with a crackling voice. "Why didn't I notice this before? It's a slow-acting poison, specially made to not only… uh… attack the physical state of the ninja, but also disable the chakra flow!"

"Kakashi-sensei! Help me! Anyone!" Sakura coughed weakly.

"Would the anyone category include me?" someone said. Sakura slowly turned her head around, hoping for the best but not expecting it. And the figure she saw was definitely not someone she wanted to see.

A young ninja about her age stood behind her. His face was hidden by a mask, and the only hint about his identity was the headband on his forehead, with a gleaming symbol for the Village Hidden in Shadow.


	3. Chapter 2: Worry

A/N: AHHH! Okay, so when I was editing and looking over my work again today, I screamed for about five minutes when I discovered that there was an outtake in here, at the end of the chapter, about soon-to-come characters Katara and Koichi. For those of you who are reading this for the first time, I'm glad your reading experience will be as I had intended. But the other approximately 200 readers before you... *sigh*... are just a little bit more lucky. Ah, well, please continue and enjoy the new-and-improved version here.

Love and Memory: Chapter 2

{Worry}

By WhiteLightForever

"W-who are you? What do you want?" Sakura managed to whisper. She found it impossible to determine his reason for being there, due to the navy scarf covering his face. She could only see his hazel eyes staring at her with… was it pity?

"I cannot say. Where are your comrades?" he asked neutrally. Sakura felt beads of sweat drip down her forehead. She suspected that he was either a spy or an assassin from the shadow village. She was in no state to fight him; she was fighting to remain conscious as it was. But Sakura knew one thing. There was no way she would tell him where the others were. She would rather die now then let her team down again.

"I will never tell you!" she spat, praying that they would come to her rescue soon.

"Don't you fear me? Are you more afraid of losing your friends than your own life?" he said curiously, with a raised eyebrow. Sakura was taken aback.

"Why would you- ugh- ask me that? Why would _you _care?"

"It's not important. I just need to know where they are so I can take you back to them, unless you would rather die here." Sakura was now very confused by this guy.

"I'm not falling for that. If you were a true ninja, you would not waste time toying with me; you would kill me on the spot. Egh-" Sakura coughed out blood and unwillingly laid her head on the grass. The ninja went to her side and bent over her, looking for the injuries. "Please…" Sakura whispered. "Don't kill me. Don't kill- them."

She sighed as her eyelids folded shut. Sakura breathed in short, raspy breaths, and the boy narrowed his eyes in worry. Quivering slightly, he gently took her into his arms and stood up, frowning as he spotted her bleeding stomach. He pushed threatening thoughts out of his mind and listened to his conscience. He took a slight step forward, but stopped suddenly.

"Put her down." Kakashi ordered. Naruto and Sasuke were at his sides, prepared for battle. They all looked furious.

The boy didn't dare refuse. He gently placed Sakura on the grass and stepped back. His eyes revealed conflicting emotions, but before he could be held back he darted off in little more than a second.

"Damn," Sasuke said, "We could have held him for questioning."

"I believe Sakura's life is more important at the moment, Sasuke." Kakashi said, bending over her frail body. He held up her shirt to reveal her midriff, causing Naruto and even Sasuke to blush slightly. But Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he noticed the poison seeping into the slash. Now he knew that it was an idiotic move not to immediately go back to Konoha after their first attack.

Kakashi swiftly drew her into his arms bridal-style, and without another word he set off back towards their camp, knowing that Sakura could not possibly make it back to the leaf village in this condition. Sasuke and Naruto gave each other a brief glance before they followed him.

*

"Sakura, if you're alive, will you open your eyes?"

"You loser, if she was dead then her chest wouldn't be going up and down, now would it?"

"Er… well then why won't she wake up?"

"She's unconscious! She can't even hear you!"

"Wait! She's waking up!"

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and blinked as sunlight poured into them. She drew her hand to her stomach, and felt dry, new bandages placed tightly over the wound. A wave of relief washed over her when she realized that she was still alive and so was everyone else. But unfortunately her relief did not stay. She noticed that when she tried to lift her head she felt immediately dizzy.

"Sasuke? Naruto?" she whispered in a strained voice. Sakura relaxed her head on the grass. "What happened?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke, hoping he would say something. Sasuke simply stared at the ground and did not reply. Naruto struggled to find the words when Kakashi, who was sitting with his back to them, spoke up.

"You've been poisoned." He said. Sakura sighed.

"Well, I know that." She grunted. "What happened to the ninja?"

"He left right after we came." Kakashi refused to say anymore. Sakura was annoyed, but decided to give up, knowing that Kakashi would never tell her more than that.

"Kakashi-sensei, why did that ninja attack Sakura anyways? Are we being spied on?" Naruto asked curiously. Sasuke groaned at his bluntness, but he wanted to know the same things.

"He must have attacked Sakura because she was alone and weakened." Kakashi answered. Sakura winced when he referred to her as weakened. But she tried to push thoughts of regret away in order to listen to his explanation. Kakashi continued. "And they must have been spying on us from the start in order to so accurately ambush us earlier. However, I'm not sensing anyone now, so there's no need to worry."

"Are we going to return to Konoha?" Sasuke now spoke up.

"Yes, once Sakura is feeling a bit better. Now let's be quiet and let her rest." Kakashi said, knowing that as long as they were on this topic, there was no chance of Sakura going to sleep. Naruto whined to himself, but Sasuke fell deep into thought. He wondered how the Shadow ninja could have known that Team 7 was departing on an investigative mission to their own home. Could there possibly have been an inside source?

Sakura fought off sleep for as long as she could, hoping to hear more on the Shadow ninja. But inevitably she fell into sleep, though she began to sweat and searing pains continued to shoot across her abdomen.

Meanwhile, numerous ninja closed in around them, including one very reluctant young man with hazel eyes…


	4. Chapter 3: Fear

Love and Memory: Chapter 3

{Fear}

By WhiteLightForever

Sasuke stared into the dying flames of the campfire. Though they had slowly been dying away for some time now, he had chosen to ignore them as he stayed deep in thought. First the ambush, now the attack on Sakura. It was obvious that there was someone following them, but for how long had it been going on? He or she must have been spying on the Hidden Leaf Village for some time to have known when Team 7 would be setting out. Also, Sasuke guessed that the ambush wasn't meant to be a slaughter- it was a warning to them, as well as every other village in the alliance that was interested in the Shadow Village. And Sakura's poisoning showed they had some special skills.

Sasuke understood that Kakashi was more than worried about Sakura's health… he was worried about her very life. Even Kakashi didn't know the antidote to such brutal poison. He recognized it, but only because it was infamous for killing ninja without mercy. The enemy would dip their weapons in the clear substance, and then the poison would seep into the bloodstream of the one who was struck. The poison would stay dormant for a while, until the victim's emotions were raised enormously. This would cause the heart to beat faster, the blood to flow quicker, and after traces of the poison had been distributed to the entire body it would start attacking the cells. It was cancerous and deadly.

So how could she possibly survive? Sasuke doubted that their enemy had stopped following them. He or she could be watching him this very moment. Sasuke glanced up from the fire as his back prickled. If they moved Sakura, the poison would infect her even more rapidly. But there was no way that they could save her if they stayed where they were. Sasuke placed his face in his hands.

"Oh yes, what a predicament."

Sasuke leapt up and raised a kunai instantly. His eyes darted back and forth, scouring the darkness for any sign of whoever spoke. The sharingan swirled into his eyes and he looked around desperately. Was this the spy who had just occupied his thoughts?

"The sharingan won't help you. We are the Shadow ninja. No one can see through the darkness but we."

Sasuke felt beads of sweat run down his back. We? So there was more than one? His stomach fell as he realized that the hidden ninja was right. His sharingan would not help him find them… so he would have to rely on pure instinct.

"Ka-" he began, trying to awaken his sensei.

"Don't." the man whispered.

Sasuke gasped and whirled around. A tall ninja, whose face was hidden, was crouched over Sakura poising a kunai to her throat. Sasuke would have been surprised that she did not wake up, if he hadn't noticed the blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth. _Damn, she's unconscious again! _he cried out silently. Her head lolled forward against the kunai her attacker was holding. Sasuke couldn't see the ninja's face, but he saw the man's eyes twinkle maliciously and guessed that he was smiling.

"Let her go." Sasuke whispered. "Don't be a coward. Fight me."

The man snickered and pulled Sakura's head up by her hair as he stood. She didn't even flinch at what was surely overwhelming pain. "Cowardice, you call it? I call it strategy."

Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger. "What do you want?"

"We have given you fair warning. Do not come to our village. But you refuse to back down, even at your comrade's expense… and this displeases us." The man explained gently. Sasuke watched Sakura as a drop of blood splattered onto the grass. He fought to suppress the panic in his heart.

"What is it that you have to hide?" Sasuke demanded, adjusting his stance. He didn't doubt that there were ninja behind him ready to attack.

"None of your business." He snapped, pressing the kunai tighter against Sakura's neck. She coughed, and more blood fell to the ground. "Now leave this place be-"

A kunai struck his chest, expertly in the heart. As if in slow motion, Sasuke watched him drop Sakura abruptly and fall to the grass, the kunai still protruding from his chest. He lay with his eyes wide open.

"FATHER, NO!" A young man's voice shouted and there was a rustle in the leaves as he emerged despite the protests of his hidden comrades. Sasuke turned to see the boy rush past him, and Kakashi standing in battle stance. So it had been him who had killed the enemy, Sasuke concluded. But now it was time to fight.

A small host of Shadow nin burst into the clearing and Sasuke revealed the sharingan once more. The edges of his mouth curled into a grin as he rushed into battle on instinct. Instantly the once quiet night shattered into the sounds a kunai clanging against each other and numerous other noises of battle. He passed Kakashi for only a second, but he heard Kakashi whisper instructions. _Protect Sakura. We don't know what they're capable of, so don't fight them aimlessly. Protect her. _Sasuke reluctantly nodded as he back flipped to land in front of Sakura. He slowly bent over to move the lifeless arm of her former tormentor off of her back, keeping his eyes on the battle between Kakashi and several ninja.

SMACK!

Sasuke whipped his arm back after his hand was slapped away. He looked in surprise at the same boy who had rushed past him, clutching his father's bloody body tightly. He had pulled off his mask, revealing the face of a boy only Sasuke's age. Tears were running down his face as he stared at Sasuke with pure hatred.

"DON'T—YOU—TOUCH HIM!" he shouted in fury. Sasuke was almost frightened by the ferocity in the boy's voice. He took a step back involuntarily, but hit the outstretched, pale hand of Sakura's. Sasuke tore his vision away to check Sakura.

He gently turned her over from the former face-first position. The corner of her mouth was still dribbling blood. Sasuke wrinkled his forehead and felt for her pulse. _Faint, _he noted_, but existent. Damn…_

Naruto opened his eyes slowly and gave a big yawn. "Hey, Sensei, what's with all the noise? Are you training Sasuke or something? Sa-AHHHHHH!" Naruto barely managed to dodge the kunai coming at him. With a loud thunk it lodged itself into the tree he had been leaning on. Naruto's eyes widened as he observed the scene around him. Clumsily he pulled himself into battle stance and debated helping his sensei or staying out of the way. He looked around for his friends and felt a pang when he saw the unconscious Sakura being protected by a clearly uncomfortable Sasuke.

Then Naruto narrowed his eyes and dove head-on into battle.


	5. Chapter 4: Panic

Love and Memory: Chapter 4

{Panic}

By WhiteLightForever

Kakashi's fight was rapidly paced. He couldn't even glance at his students to see if they were alright, and was forced to keep his entire focus on his opponents. He had surmised earlier that the Shadow ninja could manipulate shadows, much like Shikamaru, but so far this technique had not been used. Kakashi worried that these ninja could be capable of much more than shadow manipulation…

Suddenly, in a flash of bright orange, Naruto appeared in the midst of the battle with a nervous grin and a very confused expression. "Kakashi-sensei!" he wailed, "What the heck is going on?!"

"Nice of you to join us, Naruto." Kakashi grunted as he struck a ninja in the shoulder. "If you haven't noticed, we've been ambushed yet again!"

Naruto roughly kicked a man to his left as he avoided one on his right. He wasted no time in performing the shadow clone jutsu. Soon the small clearing was filled with angry Narutos ready for action. Kakashi was thankful for the distraction. He quickly sneaked away to find Sakura and Sasuke, who weren't far.

Sasuke looked up as Kakashi appeared beside him, as well as about 5 Narutos who were shielding them from view. _Hmph, _Sasuke thought sarcastically, _when did Naruto get so smart? _

"Is Sakura okay?" Kakashi asked, not looking away from the battle still. He knelt beside her and checked her pulse just as Sasuke had, and Sasuke noticed his forehead wrinkle in dismay. Sasuke assumed that his sensei now knew the answer to his question.

"What do we do?" Sasuke inquired.

Kakashi let out a short breath, intended to be a sigh. "We have to get her out of here. I was a fool not to take her back to Konoha while we could… we have to take her to a healer, I can do no more for her."

Sasuke paused. "I'll take her."

Kakashi considered, then nodded. "I suppose you'll be the only one fast enough- Naruto would probably get lost. Take her to the nearest village you can find, demand a healer, no matter the cost."

Sasuke slung her onto his back, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Her limbs hung limply over his body; Sasuke realized he would have to support her entirely so she wouldn't slip off. He was about to dart away, when Kakashi grabbed his arm.

"Sasuke, if her condition gets worse-" Kakashi looked at the ground for but a split second, "You'll just have to wait it out. Now go. When this is over, we'll come find you. Go."

Sasuke left before Kakashi could say another word. Into the darkness of night he continued, leaving half of Team 7 behind to fend for themselves. What Sasuke forgot was the young boy whose father had been killed- who slipped into the shadows right after Kakashi had appeared…

Kakashi went back over to Naruto, injuring some Shadow ninja easily while he made his way. He ripped off the piece of navy cloth concealing the eye which possessed the Sharingan. He let the cloth float to the ground, knowing it wouldn't be needed for some time now…

*

Sasuke went as fast as he possibly could. He was being near reckless at this point: he frequently had to dodge tree limbs which came into his path. His face had already been cut with the stray twigs. On his back, Sakura moaned occasionally, and her breathing had grown few and far between. Sasuke wasn't one to panic, but he was fearing that the breaking point of his usual indifference was near.

The moon had drooped farther down in the sky. Sasuke had noted this. Dawn would come within the next couple hours, which would definitely help his cause. He knew only to travel southwest from the camp, but it was difficult for him to maintain this route in the dark. The sunrise would be a blessing in the highest.

"Wait." A voice growled in the shadows. "Don't you dare take another step."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks. It was one of the Shadow nin, he was positive. And it sounded like that boy… he pictured that furious face in his mind, and tried to spot him in the black, which was of course a near impossible task. But not for a Shadow ninja.

Sasuke gasped when a kunai struck his ankle. At the shock of the sudden pain, he quickly lost his footing and fell from the tree limb. Through some smart manoeuvring he managed to land on his knees on the ground. "Sakura!" he shouted, noticing the weight lifted from his back. He gritted his teeth and looked around for her body, but it was nowhere to be found.

"Looking for something, you filthy excuse for a genin?" the boy's voice echoed from above. Sasuke pulled himself to his feet and looked up to see the boy, holding Sakura in his arms, standing on the tree limb he had just fallen from.

"What did you say?" Sasuke uttered angrily.

"You really should pay more attention to your luggage." The boy said, referring to Sakura.

"Let her go, and leave this place, or you'll end up just like your dad." Sasuke threatened. The boy glared, with the same intensity Sasuke recognized from earlier. The Shadow ninja tightened his grip on Sakura, who let out a moan.

"Wrong thing to say, Leaf boy. Tell you what-" he began, holding Sakura to his chest for some odd reason. "You took someone from me. So I'll repay you for it. I'll never speak to my father again… and you'll never see this girl again."

"NO!!!" Sasuke shouted, but he knew it was too late. Then to his great surprise, he began to sink into the ground…

While Sasuke had struggled to suppress his anger and come up with a strategy, he had failed to notice that he was standing directly in the tree's shadow as well as the boy's… and through a complicated jutsu, he was now being sucked into the shadow itself. It was like black quicksand; the more he fought it, the more he became stuck. Sasuke's eyes were wide in both terror and anger as he sank deeper into the depths of the darkness. The boy took a moment to savour the demise of Sasuke, before he disappeared into the shadows once again. The last to fade was a lock of Sakura's rose coloured hair.

Sasuke called out as the crushing pain of the impending shadow devoured him. He took a last breath of air before his head sunk beneath the ground.

The sun rose slowly over this area. A small puddle of blood was left on the tree limb, dripping onto the dry grass. Shadows from the tree faded away in the illumination of the sun. Blood was all that was left to show that Sasuke had ever even been there…

And somewhere in the distance, the cries of battle continued.


	6. Chapter 5: Doubt

**A/N: Just so you all know, I recently discovered an passage in Chapter 2: Worry that was actually an outtake I forgot to remove. It was your introduction to Katara and Koichi, whom you'll *officially* meet in this chapter. ALL of the previous chapters have now been edited and updated, though there really was only that one discrepancy. Sorry for that… and enjoy this!**

**Oh, and one more thing. On my profile, I've posted a poll on whether or not you'd like me to start inserting a chapter-by-chapter playlist for **_**Love and Memory**_**, as I have already made one for my own enjoyment. Let me know what you think!**

Love and Memory: Chapter 5

{Doubt}

By WhiteLightForever

Naruto was panting heavily. He looked around him at the fallen bodies strewn about the forest floor. Of course, most had died at the hands of Kakashi, but Naruto was proud that he had aided. The odds had been terrible, at 30:2, but the battle was currently in their favour at last. Now only several Shadow ninja were left, and Kakashi still looked quite capable of fighting. Naruto pulled his aching limbs back into battle stance. He wasn't near ready to quit.

Kakashi was surprised that none of these enemies had tried any tricks yet. So far every battle had consisted of the usual fighting tactics, and most weren't even at Jounin level. That was why Naruto was still alive. He looked over at his young student and saw the determined look in Naruto's eyes that never seemed to go away. Kakashi smirked, knowing that if Naruto was able to continue fighting, they wouldn't lose.

But Kakashi didn't realize how wrong of him it was to assume.

He understood this the moment he went to move.

Kakashi looked at the ground and immediately noticed his grave mistake. Being so caught up in battle, he had failed to notice that they had actually managed to position him so that he was directly in their shadow. _So, they are as smart as I thought…_ Kakashi scolded himself, _How could I not notice this move?! _

Naruto turned to stare at Kakashi, confused as to why they weren't moving forward. Kakashi's eyes widened as he quickly observed that Naruto was not standing in their shadow.

"Naruto!" he cried, "Get away from their shadows!"

Naruto saw Kakashi frozen in place, standing in their shadows, and understood these directions. Before any ninja could stop him he darted behind them, so their shadows were cast in the opposite direction. Of course, if they could change the direction of the shadows like Shikamaru, his position would not matter. But it was worth a shot.

Realizing that their plan had been revealed, the Shadow ninjas quickly moved into action. They didn't move, but performed rapid hand signs in a fluid motion. The one closest to Kakashi announced the name of the jutsu. It happened so fast that Kakashi didn't have time even to move.

"Shadow Absorption Jutsu!"

Kakashi looked down to discover that he was sinking into their shadows, actually being absorbed by the darkened ground. He didn't even attempt to move his feet; instead, he focused on all of the upper body movement he could manage. In less than an instant he threw several kunai at the ninja who were unprepared, expecting more of a terrified reaction than an attack.

Each of the remaining Shadow nin fell to the ground with kunai protruding from their chests. Naruto blinked and stared at them, utterly amazed at what had occurred in less than a minute.

"Um, Naruto…" Kakashi began. Naruto looked up and saw his sensei waving from a shorter height than before: he was waist-deep in the ground. "How about a hand?"

Naruto stepped over the bodies heading for Kakashi when his sensei suddenly poofed out of existence. He turned to find Kakashi smiling and having his face mask reapplied.

"Just kidding." Kakashi laughed. "I don't think I'd ever need your help getting out of a simple problem like that."

Naruto furrowed his brow, immediately defensive. "Hey, you never know, Kakashi-sensei! You could need me someday! So were you just a shadow clone the entire time?"

"No," Kakashi shook his head, "Just for that last bit. But enough, we need to find Sasuke and Sakura… I have a feeling they were followed."

Naruto nodded, and together they set off in Sasuke's direction.

*

The ninja with the hazel eyes walked silently and swiftly into the Village Hidden in Shadow. Faint lights flickered in some windows of the wooden buildings, but no shadows appeared against the curtains. In the distance an orange glow lit up the tree tops: the sun was rising. Knowing that meant the village would be awake very soon, he walked faster. He went to the house in the northwest corner and opened the door. It uttered a small creak. In his arms, the girl with the rose-coloured hair let out a gasp, her face contorted in pain. The boy looked at her and cursed silently, letting himself into the house and shutting the door.

He crept down the dark hallway until he reached the common room. Nestled into the sandy brown sofa was another girl. She had shoulder-length locks of black hair with gold clasps holding it up, and was dressed in burgundy robes. Her cheeks were tear-stained, and she looked rather unkempt, though her clothing was rich and her hair possessed sheen even in the darkness.

"Katara…" he whispered softly. Her eyes flashed open and quickly took in the sight.

"Koichi, what the _hell _are you doing here with a girl from the Leaf Village?" Katara snapped. She flicked on a light and growled at him.

Koichi cursed the gods above for Katara's quickness. She slept lightly, and all it took was barely more than a whisper to awaken her, and once her eyes were open, she was wide awake and usually feisty. Koichi looked down on the frail kunoichi in his arms. "I do not know who she is. We ambushed her squad, and she was poisoned- Katara, she's dying- you're the only one who can save her."

Katara narrowed her chocolate brown eyes. "Why would I do that, if she's our enemy?"

"That doesn't matter. Will you save her now and ask questions later, please?" he pleaded to his sister.

Katara began her own slew of curses, pausing only to mutter instructions as to where to put Sakura's body. Katara's fierce personality was countered by her gentle healing hands as she removed Sakura's shirt. Koichi looked on innocently as Katara examined the bleeding abdomen of the girl and noticed the green veins in the skin extending from the slash. Her face was hard, and she took a vile of silvery liquid from the cabinet, fixing a sharp, thin needle to the end.

"Koichi," she said, not looking up, "You realize that we will be responsible for her from now on?"

He nodded. "I do. I know what the antidote will do."

"As long as you're sure." She sighed.

Katara bent over Sakura and carefully stuck the needle into her heart, slowly injecting the shimmering substance. It took only seconds after Katara had removed the needle that Sakura's entire body went rigid, and she let out a long, horrible scream that reverberated throughout the house. Katara gritted her teeth and stuck her arm into Sakura's mouth, who immediately dug her teeth into the flesh, desperately trying to dissolve the pain. Minutes passed, all three holding their breath, until at last Sakura uttered a strangled cry and relaxed her jaws. Her body remained stiff, but her mouth closed, and she was quiet.

Katara cleaned her hands, rubbed some herbal salve into the wound, and bandaged her forearm. She drew a light cotton blanket over Sakura's body and turned to face Koichi.

"You had better damn well know what you're doing." She growled under her breath, and left the room.


End file.
